The Day Bickslow Was Found
by BlasphemousOrder
Summary: What happened to our favorite seith mage before Fairy Tail. This one-shot was inspired by Desna's Pradesh family, of which Bickslow is a middle child, and their histories. Also posted as an entry in PRADESH under Desna's account. Photo by Andre Inacio aka Desinho on deviantart


A/N: I wrote this for Desna to include in her Pradesh collection but decided to post this under my account as well. Hiro Mashima owns Bickslow but Des owns his family and the inspiration behind this story.

The Day Bickslow Was Found

A little boy sat in the dark cell shivering. It wasn't cold, the air was actually hot from the afternoon summer sun baking everything it could reach including the underground prison he was being held in. The air was heavy with the humidity typical of an island on the Grass Sea but without a breeze it was stifling and made it difficult for the boy to breathe. No, he wasn't cold…he was terrified. He had no clue how long he'd been down here, kept in the dark with only the other prisoners to keep him company – not that they ever said anything that made sense. The screams, they kept him company too. Every so often someone was taken away then the most horrific terror filled screams echoed in the dark. There was no escaping them like there was no escaping here. He'd tried at the beginning to keep track of time by when he was fed but the meals, if you could call the days old scraps they fed him a meal, were too sporadic. Too little too. He could feel his ribs through his thin t-shirt and his hips bite into the floor more painfully whenever he managed to fall asleep.

There had been 9 people down here when he was first brought in, at least that's what he assumed since his captors referred to him as nine instead of his name. He hadn't thought to count people that day, hadn't thought to do anything but cry.

He'd been outside in the stables where his father kept the grass runners they raised to be sold when they came. His father was amazing at training while _not_ breaking the spirit of the animal. He believed that service should go both ways based off trust and love. Only then would the animal be truly loyal. However he did it he was well known for it to the point he could be very selective of who he'd sell his animals to and always got the highest price. Bickslow had to wait another year before his dad started training him to their trade but he still loved going out back to feed the powerful creatures. He'd just given an apple to June, the runt of the stables, when he heard the first scream. It sounded like his mother had been hurt so he raced for her getting there in time to see something he'd never wished he had. There was blood everywhere. His mother's body in several pieces scattered about the yard. His father standing above her torso holding a long blade he'd never even seen. He couldn't understand what was going on. His father adored his mother, said so every day after breakfast before he left the kitchen to exercise the grass runners. He must have said something or made a noise because his father slowly turned to face him. His entire body was covered in blood, his wild hair matted to his head.

He couldn't move. His legs were rooted to the ground as his father slowly advanced on him, his eyes glowing eerily. In the boy's chest there was this great pressure. It built and built with each lumbering step his father took toward him until he felt like his body was going to explode. And he did, sort of, but the pain stopped and so did his father, eyes flashing between green and yellow. His tense little body struggled to hold his father back as if he were physically pushing him away.

"We found one!" a man called and suddenly the pressure was gone and Bickslow stumbled forward landing hard on his face in the dirt. He looked up eyes full of hope that whatever happened to his father had stopped only to see him take the sword in his hand and cut his own throat.

"Papa!" he screamed and scrambled to his father's collapsed body but he didn't respond. There was a beautiful sapphire blue orb floating over his father's chest and he grabbed it instinctually holding it to his chest when he saw another hand reach for it. All he knew was he couldn't let him have it.

"Stupid ass child!" the man yelled backhanding the side of Bickslow's face with enough force the small child fell to his side and could taste blood in his mouth. "You have no fucking clue what you did or how to even use it!" The man screamed again this time kicking the boy in the ribs repeatedly.

"Korvis stop! Let the kid have his father's soul. We came for him anyway."

After that everything went dark and Bickslow couldn't remember anything until he woke up chained in this cell. His stomach hurt a lot, so did his head, but no one cared. He cried for days, at least that's how long it felt, clinging to the beautiful soul of his Papa until he was too weak to do even that. He could tell his Papa was trying to say something but he just didn't understand though took comfort that his wasn't actually alone. Not really and now never would be.

Eventually he noticed that the people who left never came back and figured out the screams likely came from them. That was why he was so terrified. He was the only living thing left down here now so it was only a matter of time before his screams joined the others. So much time had passed since the last person left that he knew it was going to happen soon. Sometimes he fooled himself in believing they'd forgotten about him down here. He was small, didn't make any noise anymore. It would explain why no one had come with food in so long that he wasn't even hungry, but it was too good to hope for even if it meant starving to death. Anything would be better than joining the screams.

His Papa always floated near him but he could tell that he wanted to go do something. He felt the indecision even if he couldn't understand the words. He would fly to the edge of the cell but then come right back and settle in his lap only to repeat it some time later.

Bickslow curled into himself. It was so quite. Too quiet. He used to hear things coming from the floor above but now there was nothing and it was stretching out longer than ever before. The silence was getting worse than the screams. At least the screams meant he had more time. The silence only promised his end closing in.

Faint at first Bickslow thought he was hearing things. It sounded like someone was coming down the steps, coming for him to make this all end. He didn't care anymore. He didn't even have the energy to move though his hip practically screamed in agony. That was all he knew now. His life before was a dream, something his mind must have made up because this was all that existed now, all that could ever have existed. Pain, exhaustion, weakness. Then he would scream and it would end. End as soon as the footsteps grew louder until the stopped.

He her a gasp of surprise but he didn't know why. They had come for him; hadn't forgotten him. What had they expected?

"God's above how long have you been here?" questioned the voice. It sounded different than everyone else. A faint memory flickered of people just like him only laughing and running around in the sun. _Was that real?_

"Yes it was. Hold on one second," the young voice said.

Bickslow was confused and nothing made sense any more. Soon he heard metal clinking and grinding and a warm hand on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been touched, or held.

As if reading his mind the older boy sat on the floor and pulled him up letting his head rest on his shoulder. The pain in Bickslow's side lessoned and with all his strength he held the other boy back. _Please don't let them take me_ , he thought praying this was not a dream.

"I am never letting you go," the other young boy swore and tightened his arms slightly taking care not to injure the boy further. _Dad, I found something down in their basement. Please come quickly._ He called out silently to his father knowing he would know what to do like he always did. That was why they were here in the first place. After the crazy guild master of this place had finally been cut down by the guild master of White Sea his father had been called in to negotiate the surrender of all the other mages still alive. This was a Seith Guild and they'd started harvesting souls do gain power – dark power. A nice way to say they were slaughtering people because they were insane and loved being insane. He'd finally convinced his father to bring him along today so he could learn how these kinds of things were handled and now he was even happier he had.

An hour ago he thought he'd heard someone's thoughts down here but they were scattered and didn't make sense. He'd listened closer but hadn't heard anything more so he focused again on the negotiations helping his father by reading their minds and letting him know what they really thought. When they'd broken for lunch he'd caught someone thinking about coming back for the gold soul in the cells and made up his mind to investigate. Stars above if only he'd come sooner. Not that an hour would have made a real difference when seen in the big picture but no one deserved to be left alone in a place like this for a moment longer than could be helped.

He heard more footsteps coming down the stairs and the grumbling thoughts of people who did not want to be sent on a fool's errand. None of them was his father and when they saw Bickslow he hated where their thoughts turned. One wanted to kill him and be done with it the other wanted to lock the boy up elsewhere so they could use him. It made Kaleb's stomach sick and he turned so he was between them and the boy.

"Alright kid hand the boy over and get back upstairs. We'll handle it from here," the man wanting to kidnap the boy ordered.

"Where's my father?" he asked firmly. There was no way anyone was going to cause his charge any more pain. He'd made a promise to not let them get him and to Kaleb that included these two as well.

"He doesn't have time for this. Now drop the boy and get back upstairs," the other man said hands closed into fists as if he was barely holding off from murdering him if only to avoid witnesses. In fact that was exactly what this guy was thinking. His wife had been killed by a Dark Seith from this guild and he thought anyone that had anything to do with them should be exterminated. And he wasn't the only one.

"No!" he said back harsher than he had intended. Calling mentally for his father again.

By the time Arman was able to excuse himself and call for a break several people had gone downstairs to see what was going on. Arman was curious himself. It wasn't like Kaleb to be so insistent when he told him to do something but he just flatly refused to hand the boy over to the proper authorities. Turning down the narrow hall he came to a large heavy door and pushed it open. The stairs were steep and dimly lit but the smell was like walking into a solid wall. Human waste, blood and who knows all else was festering in a room without circulation in this summer heat? He had to steal himself before he could take another step without his body threatening to vomit. Slowly but surely he made his way down where his son was arguing with several adults. Shaking his head he moved thru the crowd and finally caught sight of his third child.

"Kaleb what is going on here?" he asked as he moved closure when his breathe caught at seeing the other boy. His heart broke seeing the poor child and the state he was in. He was nothing but too pale skin stretched over bones trembling behind Kaleb knuckles white from holding onto his son's shirt. His own shirt and shorts were filthy and worse than rags at this point. He doubted his head maid would use them to clean up spilt garbage. His heart ached when the child looked up and met his gaze. Bright red eyes with concentric circles identifying what he was better than words could express and he knew in that moment he'd found another son. A son that needed his love and protection more than any other soul.

Arman squatted down so he was close to eye level not caring one whit if his expensive suit was currently being ruined by the filthy floors.

"What's your name?" he asked kindly and it looked like the boy tried to answer but his hand flew to his neck and he looked pained.

"His name is Bickslow," Kaleb answered hearing the boy's thoughts when he tried to speak.

"Do you want to come home with Kaleb and me? Meet my other son Farron?" he asked softly.

A small nod was all he got before his arms flew open and were filled with his newest precious child. _Dear I found another for our family,_ he told his deceased wife as he stood and started walking away from the currently complaining officials. He couldn't care less if this was highly irregular or against policy. He was even less inclined now to give any assurances to the mages of this guild something outside of a swift execution. Adjusting Bickslow into one arm Arman paused at the base of the stairs then reached out with his free hand for his other son. His only priority for now was getting his new son cleaned, fed, checked out by a doctor and/or healer and tucked into a comfortable bed – not necessarily in that order.

As Arman and his sons left the building it was to outrage all around but nothing could stop the love and happiness he was feeling in that moment. His family was growing and it was a beautiful summer day. Life was great.

End. Please let me know if you like! - Blas :D


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